The A-9/A-1 0 was a German design for a two-stage ICBM with the ability to destroy targets on the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. An outgrowth of the V-2, the A-9/A-10 combined a modified V-2(A-4) and added a new large booster designated A-10. The modified V-2 was given the new designation of A-9 and was only one of several A-9 configurations. The A-9 was actually tested but the A-10 never got much further than the drawing board.

The differences between the V-2 and the A-9 were minimal. The A-9 sported two opposing delta-like fins in addition to its two normal fins. This allowed the A-9 to glide to its target after fuel exhaustion. The A-9 had one modified V-2 motor which used 20% more thrust than that used in the V-2.

The A-10 booster was to have six of the modified motors and four heavily braced fins of the same shape (but larger) as the standard V-2 to support itself on the ground. Four short launch rods were to enter the base of each fin, running part of the fin's length. The drawing shows the tube near the outer edge of the fin. A funnel shaped device was fitted at the bottom of the tube. The nose section of the A-1 0 was slotted to accept the four fins of the A-9. The A-10 was to be recoverable, incorporating air brakes and specially designed parachutes.

Each had walled panels inflated with compress ed air forming a semi-rigid parachute. A piloted version was planned with different fin configurations for both stages

Quite an ambitious project for the early 1940's! Fortunately for the United States, all concentration was put on the V-2 until it was too late in the war to recover.

The paint scheme for this rocket is unknown since It never got Into production, but we can surmise that if it ever became operational it would have been painted forest green overall or with the splinter pat tern as the operational V-2's were. The splinter pattern colors were gray, light earth, forest green, and dark earth. Any history of rockets will show a picture of a typical splinter pattern.

Remember that on the real splinter pattern binds the patterns were all different and the paint was applied by soldiers with brooms (so for realism, it neatness does not count). Test rounds would likely have been painted various patterns of black and white. While the data offered here is not enough for the scale event (nor can an A-10 that qualifies for the scale event be built) a replica of the A-10 will make a great demo or display model. This model has several things going for it. It has, an interesting history, challenging body construction. and challenging staging problems to be overcome. Whether you build this model as a two-stager or as a single-stager to jettison the A-9 (for glide recovery?), the resulting model should be a real crowd-pleaser.